Batman and Robin
by Marion the Geek
Summary: A Post Ep. for BROTHER'S KEEPER. BA Partnership, Friendship. When life gets hard, maybe you just need your partner. Even Batman had Robin.


Author's Note: Okay, I know I'm supposed to be on a posting hiatus, but this one cried out to be written. I loved "Brother's Keeper." There were so many fantastic scenes and so many great lines. My favorite line, though, was "Sometimes I work with Batman." It is a well-known fact that I am a geek. The line and the episode inspired this post-ep story.

Set immediately after the last moments from season six, episode 15, "Brother's Keeper."

Disclaimer: Law & Order: Criminal Intent belongs to Dick Wolf, NBC, and Wolf Films, et al. The characters and setting are borrowed without permission. This is a work of fan fiction. The plot belongs to me. I am making no money from this. I humbly request not to be sued.

Title: Batman and Robin

By: Marion

"Bobby?" Alex called after him as he was intent on fleeing the ME's office. He didn't look behind him as he hurried away.

_Great. Here we go again._ She rushed after him. "Bobby, wait!" His longer legs steadily increased the gap between them.

He kept up that pace as he burst through the doors to the street. When she had made it outside she broke into a run. "Bobby!"

He glanced back for the briefest on moments and kept going. All he could think was he had to get away. He had to be alone. He couldn't face the look of pity he knew would be on her face.

Alex realized she was never going to catch her partner. She knelt and scooped up the last icy vestiges of the previous week's snow, shaping it into a ball as she stood. She hurled it as hard as she could at his retreating form.

He stiffened as the icy snowball shattered between his shoulder blades. He whirled to face her. "Hey!" he shouted, looking shocked. "That hurt."

"You're lucky it wasn't a rock." He was surprised to see the hurt and anger on her face.

"Eames?" He took a few steps back toward her. "What's wrong?"

She stared at him for a moment before dropping her gaze. "I just want to know why you're running away from me," she said.

"I'm not," he said. "I just…"

"Just like you didn't run away at Thanksgiving? I'm worried about you Bobby."

"You don't need to be," he said. "I'm fine. Everything's fine. You saw yourself, it wasn't him."

"You don't look fine, Bobby." She closed the distance between them until she was standing only a few feet in front of him. "You take care of everyone. Me, after I was kidnapped. Your mom. Your brother. Who takes care of you?"

He examined the pavement, running a hand across the back of his neck. He didn't have an answer to give her.

"I would, you know," she said softly. "You don't have to run away from me."

"Eames… you don't understand. I can't let you do that."

"Why not?" She met his gaze. "Explain it to me."

"You're work… and this isn't… This is my family," he said. "You aren't a part of this."

She closed her eyes, wishing she could hide how much his words hurt.

He could see his words had stung. "I have to keep them separate," he tried desperately to explain. "If I don't, it all falls apart. I'll fall apart. You have to understand."

"I get it, Bobby," she said softly, studying the sidewalk. She laughed humorlessly. "Kind of like Bruce Wayne and Batman." She was struck by the accuracy of this analogy. Tall, dark and brooding. Her partner to a T.

Bobby looked confused. "Huh?"

"Bruce Wayne is a happy, carefree millionaire playboy, while Batman is the dark avenger," she said. "Two sides of the same emotionally scarred and reclusive man."

He was eyeing her strangely. "You read a lot of comics as a kid, didn't you?"

"So what!" She put her hands on her hips. "That's not the point."

"Well what is the point, Eames?" he asked wearily.

"The point," she said, looking up into his eyes. "The point is even Batman had Robin."

Bobby looked more confused. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

"Robin. Dick Grayson. He was a part of both worlds. He knew both sides of Bruce Wayne. He was allowed to be a part of both lives."

"And you want to be my Robin?"

"Bobby, at this point I'd settle for being Alfred."

"The butler?" He looked slightly bemused.

"Are we friends?"

The question caught him off guard. He raised his eyebrows. "Eames?"

"Seriously, Bobby, I want to know. Am I deluding myself when I think of us as more than simple co-workers?"

"No," he said. "You aren't deluding yourself. We are friends." He was wringing his hands.

"Good to know," she said. She started to walk past him toward their car.

He fell in step beside her. "How are you? I've been caught up in my own stuff. I haven't asked in a while."

"This isn't about me," she said. They walked in silence for a moment. "I'm all right. Some days are harder than others. But I'm okay."

"I'm glad," he said.

"How's your mom?" she asked.

She saw him stiffen. "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to," she said gently.

He reached out and took her hand, pulling her to a stop beside him and turning to face her. "She's dying, Eames." His face was so sad and scared. He seemed almost childlike. "She's dying and there is nothing I can do."

She reached up to touch his face and he leaned into her touch. "I'm sorry, Bobby," she said, her voice sympathetic. He let her pull him into a hug. It felt safe. It felt good.

He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry, Alex. I wasn't … I didn't mean to hurt you … I'll try not to push you away."

She looked up at him, a little surprised. "I appreciate that," she said. She let him out of the hug. "We're going to be okay, Bobby."

He smiled. "So about this whole Robin thing…"

"What about it?"

"Wasn't he a sidekick?" Bobby asked, amusement evident.

"I'm not going to be your sidekick, Bobby."

"No. I guess they were more like partners anyway."

She smiled to herself and nudged him with her elbow. "Holy actual conversation, Batman." He laughed and put his arm across her shoulders, pulling her to him in a side hug.

Author's note: Okay, even I was surprised that I wrote this. I hope you liked it. Remember, I live for reviews.


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